Focusing lamp-socket.



G. C. KNAUFF.

FOGUSING LAMP SOUKET.

APPLIUATION FILED 2113.16, 1914.

1,110,795. Patented Sept. 15, 1914.I

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GEORGE C. KNAUFF, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FooUsING LAMP-scam.

'Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented Sept. 15, 1914 Application led February 16, 191.4. Serial No. 819,007.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE C. KNAUFF, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Focusing Lamp- Sockets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, .such as will enable others skilled in the art -to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to sockets for vincandescent electric lamps and more particularly to a socket adapted for use with a reflector which will concentrate the light in a given direction. In sockets of this class it has heretofore been diflicult to maintain the proper relation between thev position of the lamp filament and the curvature of the reflector, so as to allow for the considerable variations met with lamps of different makes o1' even with individual lamps of the same make and type, without 'introducing a complicated and expensive mechanism.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a socket with a simple and positive mounting which may readily be manipulated to adjust the position of the lamp relatively to the reflector carrying the socket so as to accurately focus the` light-emitting portion of the lamp.

Another object is to provide simple means for locking the lamp-carrying portion of the socket in its said focusing position.

@ther objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure '-1- 1s a' longitudinal fragmentary view of a socket, lamp and reflector combination embodying my invention. Fig.

-2- is a rear view of the socket portion of the said combination. Fig. -3- is a fragmentary plan view of the rear end of the said combination. Fig. -4- isan enlarged fragmentary section through Fig. 1- along the line 4-4. Fig. -5- is a perspective view of a simplified embodiment of my invention. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through an alternative embodiment of my invention.

In the embodiment of Fig. -1-, my invention is shown as applied to a socket adapted for use with a reflector l and with a lamp 2, the latter having upon its base laterally projecting pins 3 adapted to interlock with bayonet slots 4 disposed' at one end of the socket. The socket proper consists of a cylindrical. casing 5 equipped at one end with the said bayonet slots and carrying an msulating body 6 supporting the wire and lamp terminals. Slidably housing and preferably telescopically interlittmg the said cas- 1ng 5 is an outer shell or casing 7 equipped at its forward end with a flange 8 to which the annular rear end of the reflector 1 is soldered or otherwise secured so as to be immovable longitudinally of the said outercasing. The outer casing 7 is equipped at its rear end with a flange 37 projecting radially of the said casing in one direction, the said flange having a substantially rectangular opening 9 therein and 'having a plate 1() secured to the forward face thereof by rivets 11. lThe flange 87 and the plate ll are equipped with opposed arched formations 12 and 13, the inner surfaces of which coact to form la substantially cylindrical bore having its axis disposed substantially tangential to the said outer casing 7, which bore is threaded to receive the body of a cylinder 14. The cylinder 14 houses a piston 15 equipped with a stern 16 projecting through the contracted end of the said cylinde-1' into the opening 9, which stem is continually pressed toward the said opening .by a spiral spring 17 housed in the said cylinder, the latter being also equipped at its outer end with a slot 18 for receiving the tip of a screw driver whereby the cylinder may be screwed into its said threaded engagement withl the arched formations 12 and 13.

The inner or main casing of the socket 5 is equipped at its rear end with a web 19 projecting sulrstantially radially of the casing and extending longitudinally thereof through the said opening 9 in lthe flange 37 at the rear end of the outer or auxiliary casing. Clamped between the parts 37 and 10 and non-rotatably held Iwith respect thereto by suitable shoulder vformations on one thereof is a blade Q0 equipped .with a knife edge 21, extending across one of theupper corners of the opening 9 at an angle oblique to the said web 19, against which the springpressed plunger or piston rod 16 continually bears. It will be obvious from Figs. 2- and -4- that the said spring-pressed plunger will coact with the web 19 against which it bears Ato tend to rotate the inner casing with respect to the outer socket casing, thereby forcing the radially outward edge 22 of the said web Iinto engagement with the/bladekni-fe-edge formation 21 carried Vby the outer casing. However by manually rotating the inner easing with respect to the reflector and the outer casing (which may be done by grasping the rear end of the inner casing) the web 19 may readily be 4moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. -4-, thereby bringing the outer edge of the said web out of engagement with the knife edge and'permitting the inner casing together with the lamp carried thereby to be freely moved longitudinally of the auxiliary casing, that is to say, along the axis of the reflector. When the lamp has thus been moved so as to bring its filament accurately into the focus of the reflector, the rotating pressure upon the inner easing is relaxed, whereupon the spring 17 and the said plunger will coact with the web to rotate the lamp and inner casing back to its normal position, thereby forcing the edge of the web 19 against the said knife edge. Owing to the oblique positioning of the knife edge formation 21 with respect to the common diameter 23 of the casings passing through the point of contact between the knife-edge formation and the said web, the said knife edge will act as a cam coacting with the. pressure of the spring to force the inner casing 5 downwardly against the outer casing 7 thereby wedging the said inner casing between the lower wall 21 of the outer casing and the said knife-edge formation.

1t will be evident from the above description that the socket of my invention may readily be manipulated to provide any needed adjustment of the lamp with respect to the focus of the reflector, and that by proaiding a relatively thin and sharp knifeedge formation bearing against a smooth outer edge of the web 19, the resulting adjustment may be made much more accurately than has heretofore been possible by the 'use of coacting toothed formations upon the relatively movable socket portions. It will also be evident thatthe spring and the cam-shaped knife-edge formation will continuously coact to wedge the relatively movable socket casings firmly so as to lock them against relative motion in spits of the'fjarring commonly met in the use of such sockets on vehicles or the like.

To prevent excessive longitudinal movement of the inner socket casing with respect to the outer' casing, I preferably equip the forward end of the web 19 with a stop formation 25 extending transversely of the common axis of the casings, whichstop formation will engage the forward end of the plunger 16 so as to limit the relative longitudinal motion of the casings in one direction, the said motion being limited in the other `direction by the impmgement of the forwardend 25 of the web against the end 26 of the longitudinal slot 27 in the outer casing through which the said web vlVhile I have shown and described the projects'.

socket of my invention as equipped w1thseparately mounted ,knife edge and springrotating formations disposed at opposite sides ofan arch supported byethe outer casing, I do not wish to bel limited to this or other details of the construction herein disclosed, as the same might be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, Fig. -5- shows a simplified form in which a single and annularly disposed spring niember 28 is secured tothe outer 4casing by a rivet 29, the said spring-member having at one end a tip 3G bearing against the web 19 of the inner casing and having its other end 31 twisted and sharpened to afford a knife edge formation bearing against the outer edge of the said web 19.

Fig. 6 shows anlouter casing carrying a stirrup 32 equipped with a knife-edged cam 33 extending through a slot in the web 34 of the inner casing. In this case, the stirrup 32 also carries a spring 35 forcing a plunger 36 against the web 34 to effect a'relative rotation of the casings, thereby forcing the' cam 33 to engage the Asaid slotted web and to wedge the casings into a tight interlocklng.

I claim' as my invention:

1. A socket including relatively rotatable and relatively slidable main and auxiliary casings, one thereof equipped with a knifeedge formation disposed in a plane substantially transverse Aof the axis of the casings, the other thereof equipped with a formation extending longitudinally thereof and -intercepting the said plane, and means for ioo 2. A socket including a pair of casings relatively movable lo-ngltudinally and circumferentially of each other, the said casings equipped respectively with formations extending substantially transversely of each other, and spring means connecting the casings and relatively rotating t-he latter to force the said formations into engagement withfeach other. f

3. A focusing socket including a pair of slidably interfitting cylindrical casings, on':

thereof equipped with a webextending substantially longitudinally thereof, the other thereof equipped with a knife-edge formation transversely of and adapted to engage the said web, the said casings being relatively partially rotatable to bring the said knife-edge formation out of engagement with the said web; and spring means conizo Madres' thereof equipped with a knife-edge formation transversely of and adapted to engage the said web, the said casings being relatively' partially rotatable to bring the said knife-edge formation out of engagement with the said web; and spring means connecting the said casings and normally holding the said web in engagement with the said knife-edge formation, thc said knifecdge formation being disposed obliquely with respect to the common diameter of the casings passing through, the point of contact between the knife-edge formation and the said web.

5. A focusing socket including a pair of slidably interfitting cylindrical casings, one thereof equipped with a web. extending substantially longitudinally thereof, the other thereof equipped with a knife-edge formation disposed substantially at right angles to the common axis of the said casings and adapted to engagethe edge of the said web, the 'said casings being relatively movable about their common axis to bring the said web 'and knife-edge formation into or out of engagement, and means for holding the said web in engagement With the said knifeedge formation.

6. A focusing socket including a pair of slidably interfitting cylindrical casings, one thereof equipped with a web extending substantially longitudinally thereof, the other thereof equipped with a knife-edge formation disposed substantially at right angles to the common axis of the said casings and adapted to engage the edge of the said web, the said casings being relatively movable, about their common axis to bring the said web and knife-edge formation into or out of engagement, spring means connecting the said casings and normally forcing the said web into engagement with the said knifeedge formation, and a stop carried by the said web and engaging a portion of the lastnamed casing to limit relative longitudinal motion of the said casings.

7. A focusing socket including a pair of slidably interfitting cylindrical casings, the inner thereof equipped with a web disposed substantially radially of the casing and substantially longitudinally thereof, the outer of said casings equipped with a slot through which the said web u on the inner casing projects and with a ife-edge formation disposed transversely ofthe said web and obliniev with respect to the said substantially radial web; and means connecting the said casings to maintain the said web normally in engagement with the said knife-edge formatlon.

8. A focusing socket including a pair of slidably intertting cylindrical casings, one thereof equipped with a web extending substantially longitudinally thereof, the other thereof equipped with a knife-ed e formation disposed substantially at rig t angles to the common axis of the said casings and adapted to engage the edge of the said web, the said casings being relatively movable about their common axis to bring the said lweb and knife-edge formation into or out of engagement, and means for holding the said web in engagement with the said knife-edge formation, there being cooperating stop formations upon the said web and the said last-named casing'for limiting the relative longitudinal motion of the said casings.

9.- A focusing socket yincluding a pair of slidably intertting cylindrical casings, the inner thereof equipped with a web disposed substantially radially of the casing and substantially longitudinally thereof, the outer of said casings equipped with a slot through which the said web upon the inner' casing projects and with an arched iiange straddlin the saidv slot; a blade carried by the sai flange, and spring means carried by the said slotted casing and engaging the said web upon the other casing to force the said web against the said blade.

10. A focusing socket including a pair of slidably intertting cylindrical casings, the inner thereof equipped with a web disposed substantially radially of the casing and substantially longitudinally thereof, the outer of said casings equipped with a slot through which the said web upon the inner casing projects and with an arched flange straddling the said slot and equipped with a knifeedge formation facing the said slot; a clamppiece secured to the said flange, the said flange and clamp-piece having opposed arched formations coacting to form a substantially cylindrical bore extending transversely of the said slot;,a cylinder mounted in said bore; and a spring and a plunger housed by said cylinder, the plunger equipped with a stem projecting beyond the said cylinder and engaging the said web to force the latter against the said knife-edge formation.

^ In testimony whereof I have si ed my name in presence of two subscriblng witnesses.`

GEORGE o. KNAUFF.

Witnesses: l I 

